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NBA: 50 greatest players who aren’t in the Basketball Hall of Fame

By Maxwell Ogden

AUBURN HILLS, UNITED STATES: Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Piston celebrates with the fans after the Pistons defeated the Lakers 100-87 to win the 2004 NBA championship final, in Auburn Hills, MI, 15 June 2004. The Pistons won the best-of-seven NBA championship series 5-1 and Billups was the series MVP. AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
AUBURN HILLS, UNITED STATES: Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Piston celebrates with the fans after the Pistons defeated the Lakers 100-87 to win the 2004 NBA championship final, in Auburn Hills, MI, 15 June 2004. The Pistons won the best-of-seven NBA championship series 5-1 and Billups was the series MVP. AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Dallas Mavericks legend Mark Aguirre
LOS ANGELES – 1988: Mark Aguirre #24 of the Dallas Mavericks moves the ball during the NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles, California in 1988. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images) /

50 greatest players who aren’t in the Basketball Hall of Fame: 25. Mark Aguirre

With no hyperbole whatsoever, Mark Aguirre is one of the most important players in NBA history. He was the No. 1 overall draft pick during the 1981 NBA Draft who became a multi-time All-Star with the Dallas Mavericks.

More significant: He was the player who pushed the Detroit Pistons from being Bad Boys to becoming two-time NBA Champions in an era with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan.

Aguirre may not be in the Hall of Fame, but the former Naismith College Player of the Year has a significant place in history and two championship rings that silence the skeptics.

Aguirre played 13 NBA seasons, amassing 18,458 points and averaging 20.0 points per game through 923 appearances. That includes his explosive 1983-84 campaign, during which he put up a career-best of 29.5 points per outing en route to his first of three All-Star Game appearances.

Aguirre then averaged 25.7 points per game in 1984-85 before closing out his Mavericks career with scoring marks of 25.7 and 25.1. He earned back-to-back All-Star Game selections in the process.

In 1989, Aguirre’s career and legacy took a turn for the graeter. Known as an explosive scorer on an exciting Mavericks team, he changed his game, embraced defense, and replaced Adrian Dantley as the Pistons won consecutive championships in 1988-89 and 1989-90.

Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, and Bill Laimbeer may be the household names from that era of Detroit basketball, but don’t ever forget Aguirre.

According to Basketball-Reference.com, Aguirre is the only eligible player in NBA history to average at least 20.0 points per game over the course of at least 900 regular-season contests and not end up in the Hall of Fame.